Field of the Disclosure
The present application relates in general to refractory articles.
Description of the Related Art
Refractory articles, such as pusher plates, are required to perform under harsh conditions. For instance, pusher plates can experience rapid thermal cycles between room temperature and temperatures as high as 1,400° C. to 1,500° C. within hours in a kiln. Such thermal gradients induce high thermal stresses within the refractory articles, which may cause refractory articles to deform and break due to thermal shock. As such, the industry continues to demand improved refractory articles.
Skilled artisans appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the invention.